


Legend of the Water God

by BBKat9



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Relationships, Fantasy, Folklore, Goblin - Freeform, Gods, Grimm reaper, Gumiho - Freeform, M/M, Made up mythology, Mythology - Freeform, Past life, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28778253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BBKat9/pseuds/BBKat9
Summary: In which two Gods try to rewrite their destiny.orJaehyun is amnesic, but Johnny waited a thousand years for them to meet again.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 10
Kudos: 27





	1. The Serpent of the Underworld

_Jaehyun's tears were like diamonds. As they slowly rolled down his face and finally fell into nothingness, Youngho wished he was close enough to wipe them. The sea roared stubbornly around Jaehyun's desperate figure as Youngho noticed the snake behind him. Its huge greenish figure shone in the dark night, indicating as a dark omen that their story would be over here now. But Youngho did not want to give up and suddenly started running towards Jaehyun's fading figure. He couldn’t let Jaehyun just disappear as they both struggled so much to rewrite their destiny._

_"Jaehyun!" he shouted loudly as he held out his hand to the boy. Jaehyun was his first love, despite all that was predicted about the relationship between the two of them. Youngho thought this between them might last and their fate would change. He hoped they would rewrite their own story with their love, but now that Jaehyun was so close to death it all seemed like a mirage._

_“Youngho, don’t come closer…” Jaehyun began, but the end of the sentence drowned into a soft scream. Youngho paused in horror as Jaehyun's shoulders were stained red with his own blood._

_Youngho got to know a thousand shades of blue thanks to Jaehyun, he thought other colors might not even exist. Jaehyun was all that made Youngho’s endless life better and now that the Water God was dying , Youngho also felt like he couldn’t breath. The smell of blood was stronger than that of water, and Jaehyun was getting weaker._

_And the next moment, the snake suddenly emerged from the water, Jaehyun turned to its scaly shape, but soon he fell to the ground amid painful screams. The familiar blue hue of the water slowly turned blood red. Jaehyun's uneven breathing broke the silence of the night as the snake slowly retreated and disappeared between the waves._

_"Jaehyun!" Youngho was trembling as he shouted the boy's name and quickly moved closer to catch Jaehyun's figure that was about to collapse._

_“Young… Youngho…” Jaehyun coughed up blood as Youngho locked his trembling body in his arms. The Water God was weak, exhausted, and Youngho could no longer see the familiar constellations in his eyes._

_“Jaehyun, don’t close your eyes, look at me! I'm here, stay with me!” Youngho asked nervously as he pushed his wet hair out of his eyes. “Jaehyun, can you hear me? I'm here."_

_"It's over, Youngho." Jaehyun's voice trembled as he tried to do everything that he could to keep his eyes open. "I love you."_

_"Don't say that, Jaehyun, it's not over, it's not yet…"_

_"The Imugi defeated me." Jaehyun replied hoarsely. "Looks like our story really couldn't end happily."_

_“Jaehyun…” Youngho’s eyes were teary as he gently stroked Jaehyun’s face. All along, they both hoped to change their destiny. Youngho didn’t want to kill Jaehyun, he never wanted to hurt the Water God, though every story about the two of them was about one of them going to die. Because one could not live while the other lived. Youngho had known death closely since he was the God of the Dead, but Jaehyun's death was not the same as he was used to._

_“Youngho hyung…” the God of the Dead suddenly raised his head as the air became noticeably colder. The huge brown eyes he found himself facing looked sadly at him._

_“Jaeminnie… find Taeyong hyung, okay? Please call him here quickly, please…” Youngho explained in a desperate voice, but he knew he was hopeless to think he could still save his lover. Jaehyun's body slowly relaxed between his arms as his blood painted Youngho's hands and clothes red. "Jaehyun, don't give up, please!" he said as he looked back at him._

_"It's time to let go, Youngho." Jaehyun whispered in a weak voice. "I love you so much. Let’s meet in my next life.”_

_"I love you too, Jaehyun." Youngho whispered too as he stroked the boy's face again. And Jaehyun slowly closed his eyes and couldn't breathe anymore._

_"Hyung." Jaemin stepped closer and knelt beside them as he looked at his brother. Youngho looked quietly at the little boy, then raised his hand to stroke his hair. As Jaemin's tears began to flow, the snow began to fall in soft flakes too._

*

**Nowadays**

Jeno quickly picked up the dirty mugs left on the tables and glanced at his watch once more. It was almost midnight, Mark had not yet returned with the souls who had to be sent to the afterlife. Oddly enough, however, Johnny didn't say a word, just waited quietly in the back of the cafe to finally finish for today. Jeno thought it was just silence before the storm, the God of the Dead had always been temperamental and did not like to have to hurry with dead souls before moving on to the afterlife. The boy wiped the tables with quick movements as his phone began to ring. The caller ID was just a rabbit emoji.

"Jaeminnie?" Jeno asked softly as he picked up the phone and pretended there was still plenty to clean up.

"Are you still working?" Jaemin's tired voice asked from the other end of the line.

“Yeah, Mark hasn’t gotten back yet. I'm afraid Johnny will go crazy in like five minutes." Jeno replied even quieter, Jaemin similarly laughing softly from the far end of the line.

"It can be hard to be a grimm reaper these days." Jaemin remarked.

"Why do you call me? Shouldn't you sleep now?” Jeno asked as he looked out the café’s window, hoping to see Mark's approaching figure, but the street outside was dark and empty.

“I couldn’t fall asleep. Jaehyunnie hyung still doesn't remember anything.” Jaemin replied quietly. "You don't know how hard it is to live with someone who has amnesia."

"Hey, I have to live with the God of the Dead, it's not easier either." Jeno replied. “Maybe it’s better for him to not to remember anything. They can't meet with Johnny hyung anyway, can they?”

"Taeyong hyung says they shouldn’t meet." Jaemin replied. “But you know, I hate to see Jaehyun like that. This is not even his first reincarnation since that thing happened with him and the Imugi… and anyways it all happened a thousand years ago.”

"Jaemin, you shouldn't have to deal with that - it's still a lot of trouble to talk to me, I'm a grimm reaper too." Jeno replied as he lowered his head for a moment.

"But I like to talk to you." Jaemin replied in an honest voice. “Anyway, who could stop me? If you forgot, I am a god too like Jaehyun hyung and Johnny hyung.”

“How could I have forgotten? The God of Winter and Ice, like some bad joke.” Jeno laughed softly. "You who have a personality as warm as the hottest summer day."

"Are you trying to be romantic now?" Jaemin asked. "I miss you."

"I miss you too." Jeno replied honestly. "It would be nice to meet sometime."

"It's hard enough to decide a date… you’re either work in the café or just collect dead souls for your boss." Jaemin sighed. "You have to gather souls tomorrow, right?"

“Yes, it seems. Do you want to come with me?”

"Yeah, we've been doing this for a long time." Jaemin replied more enthusiastically. "Let's meet at the bus stop." he added.

“Okay… oh, here’s Mark, I have to go. Talk to you tomorrow." Jeno said quickly and hung up as the cafe door opened. "Fucking finally." Jeno sighed as he dropped his kitchen towel on the counter.

"Is the boss angry?" Mark asked in a worried voice as the ghosts entered the cafe in a row.

"I don't know, he locked himself up at the back." Jeno replied, then quickly looked at his watch again. "You still have a quarter of an hour until midnight, you better hurry." he added.

"All right, all right… it wasn't my fault, not everyone wants to leave the world of the mortals." Mark explained as he gestured for the ghosts to follow him to the back of the cafe.

Jeno loved the atmosphere of the cafe, many special guests came here, some who were long forgotten by ordinary people. People today did not believe in gods or similar beings that only occurred in folk tales. Yet the whole thing was real and Seoul was their field at night. As a grimm reaper, Jeno responded only to send the souls to Johnny, the God of the Dead, who then sends them on to the afterlife. And in the afterlife, Taeyong, the God of Reincarnation, decided who could be born again. Every soul had more lives until they became vengeful spirits. Those who became vengeful spirits were not given more chances to live, they did not deserve it, as they would have only made the world of the mortals bitter. However, not only did the souls of the people get here, gods could die as well, but they only when another deity extinguished their lives. Jeno has not met the souls of any gods since he worked for Johnny.

"Mark, I don't care, that's not how it should go." Johnny explained angrily, while not long after he and Mark returned from the back of the cafe.

"I got here with them before midnight!" Mark said nervously. “It is not my fault that someone wanted to haunt their relatives rather than go through to the afterlife! It took me hours to convince him that it was better not to oppose and just go through so that he could be born again!”

“Seriously, it feels like I am working with five-year-olds…” Johnny sighed nervously, then ran his hand through his hair. "Jeno, you're gathering souls tomorrow, right?" he asked and looked at the other boy.

"Yes, hyung." Jeno nodded.

"Okay, Jisung is going with you."

"What? No way, hyung, he passed out last time… ”

“He has to learn that there is no point in being scared of ghosts. For God's sake, he's a grimm reaper too!” Johnny said nervously. “Taeyong somehow can’t make a good choice about who to make a grimm reaper for.” he added grumbling.

“Does he really have to come with me tomorrow? I won't finish my duty too fast if I have to teach him too.” Jeno explained, but mostly he didn't want to take Jisung with him, because then it would have meant that they couldn't meet with Jaemin again. Johnny didn't know that Jeno knew Jaemin. And this was primarily because of Jaehyun, the Water God and Johnny’s first love, whose fate at each rebirth depended on whether or not he would meet Johnny again. And Jaemin was Jaehyun's half-brother and they lived together in this life too. Jeno couldn't have imagined what the consequences would have been if Jaehyun and Johnny had met again in this life.

"Yes, he has to." Johnny said firmly. "Let's go home, I'm tired." he added.

"I haven't finished cleaning yet."

"Mark will finish it, come on!"

"I'm tired too, boss!" Mark said nervously, but picked up the kitchen towel from the counter that Jeno had left there earlier.

"This is your punishment for having to send those unfortunate souls to the otherworld with such haste!" Johnny said nervously as Jeno picked up his bag so they could finally leave.

They didn't talk to each other in the car, Jeno wrote a message to Jaemin unnoticed that they would rather not meet tomorrow. He knew Jaemin wouldn't be happy, he wasn't happy either, but unfortunately it was best if Jaemin didn't meet Jisung, who was the newest student grimm reaper under Johnny's wings.

*

It was half past two in the morning, but Johnny still couldn't fall asleep because when he closed his eyes, he saw Jaehyun. The familiar eyes, nose, lips of the Water God. He had not forgotten Jaehyun, he was incapable of it, and although a thousand years had passed, Johnny was still waiting for Jaehyun to reincarnate. It seemed ridiculous, after so many years of waiting, because Taeyong would have told him if Jaehyun had been reborn anyway. However, Taeyong advised him not to wait but to move on. Johnny tried, but Jaehyun remained there in his memories, in his dreams, in his everyday life. The Water God was indelibly part of his past and Johnny still desperately longed to keep him in his arms again.

Jaehyun was his first love and also the last who he kept in his arms as he died. They were not created for each other, in fact, legends were declared that they’re destined to end each other in a way. These legends promised that Jaehyun and Johnny would one day clash and fight each other until one of them eventually died. But that never happened. Instead, they fell in love with each other, even if it seemed wrong then. However, the other gods feared that the love of the God of the Dead and the Water God could endanger the human world. Because, according to legends, they could not have loved each other, it seemed that the whole world was turning against them. Countless gods and goddesses ruled over their fate and awakened the Imugi, which until then had slept silently in the depths of a cave. Because they thought that if the two gods did not kill each other, they would have to intervene.

“Idiots…” Johnny sighed hoarsely as he sat up on his bed, then rested his back on the head rest. Even now, he wondered when Jaehyun would return, whether he would remember him. It didn't really matter, Johnny was waiting for him, and it didn't matter if Jaehyun wasn't going to be the same as he remembered him.

“ _If he’s born again, the Imugi will wake up again. It needs the abilities of the Water God to be able to turn into a dragon._ ” Taeyong's words rang in his ears and he unfortunately knew the other god was right. However, Johnny decided a thousand years ago that the next time they met, he would do anything to save Jaehyun’s life.

Still, Johnny spent years searching for Jaehyun, but so far there has been no trace of the Water God in Seoul. The world has changed a lot in a thousand years, and Johnny has always shaped his life so that no one will notice that he is not really a completely average person. When he first opened his cafe, he thought that the place would attract only average people, but he soon had to realize that the café had become much more the home of various beings from his world. The spirits were collected for him by the grimm reapers, but the simple visitors were a mixed company: transiting gods, goblins, and many other souls longing for the best coffee in the world.

One year ago, one of the most special guests, Sicheng, who had guarded the well a thousand years ago, entered the café. He was the guardian of the well that led to the world of Jaehyun and he was the oldest friend of the Water God. However, Sicheng knew nothing about Jaehyun, which was really depressing, Johnny was unable to work for weeks after they met. And that ended in a terrible end, with far more vengeful spirits roaming the streets of Seoul than they should have. It was Taeyong who then pulled him out of the depths of the pit and told him it was time to pull himself together. However, Jaehyun's figure was still there in Johnny's everyday life, indelibly.

*

“Don’t get mad, that’s not how I planned things for tomorrow.” Jeno explained nervously as he leaned down on his bed. "Jaeminnie, you really should be sleeping now."

"Johnny hyung is cruel." Jaemin replied softly. "He doesn't even deserve to meet my brother."

“What are you planning again? Taeyong hyung will be angry if he finds out that you try to make them meet…”

"Taeyong hyung is busy, he hasn't been among the mortals for at least half a year." Jaemin replied. "And I don't care what he says…"

“Jaemin, even here I feel that the air is getting colder. Don't be nervous, please. It’s early June, it would be weird if it started to snowing suddenly.” Jeno said quietly. "Sleep well, it's almost two in the morning."

"You sleep well, too, Jeno." Jaemin whispered in a sleepy voice. Jeno stared at the ceiling for a few more minutes after they get off the phone, then decided it would be better if he tried to sleep as well.

He wasn't sure it was a good idea to ever lie to Johnny, though it was just that he didn't tell him the whole truth. But three years ago, Jeno didn’t even think he was going to fall in love with a god who was responsible for winter and ice. To a god whose personality was completely at odds with what he was responsible for. Jaemin was the snow that covered the familiar landscapes in winter, he was the hoarfrost that quietly covered the windowpane, he was cold to the bone and yet, his smile shone more beautifully than the strongest summer sunbeams. Jeno knew about Johnny’s first love, the Water God, who died when the Imugi attacked him a thousand years ago to get his abilities. Jaehyun did not remember anything from his previous lives, but he was still the same as before: the Water God who made sure that the clear water reached everyone, who was responsible for keeping the fishermen from returning home empty-handed.

Jaehyun's power was far greater than could be grasped with common sense, yet he remembered none of it. The Imugi woke up a thousand years ago to take all this from Jaehyun, and then he succeeded, but each time Jaehyun was born again, he was born again with the same abilities that the Water God had always had. And the Imugi slept soundly in the cave he belonged to. No one woke it up because Johnny and Jaehyun's fates never intertwined — Taeyong prevented it because he didn't want a disaster. However, Jeno hates to see the loneliness in Johnny’s eyes, the despair that he will never see his first love again.

Johnny was like his brother and maybe Johnny looked at Jeno as if he were his brother. So he let him move in with him and taught him everything to be an impeccable grimm reaper. Yet Jeno could not tell him that he had met Jaemin and knew all about the past of the God of the Dead. He knows everything, but he can't do anything, because it seems that it was the safest for everyone if the fate of Johnny and Jaehyun was not intertwined in this life.

*

Jaehyun hurriedly filled the two mugs on the kitchen counter with fresh coffee as he bit into a toast. The mornings were never easy, it was almost impossible to wake up Jaemin and Jaehyun felt that he almost always had to race against time. But Jaemin meant family to the elder, their parents died at a very young age, and their grandmother who raised them eventually died three years ago. Jaehyun knew no one else in their family, so only Jaemin was part of his everyday life.

"Jaemin, are you awake yet?" the boy asked aloud as he sipped his coffee. "Jaemin?"

"I'm here, hyung, don't yell please, my head hurts." Jaemin said as he walked over to his brother to take his own coffee mug.

“You shouldn’t have been awake again for long. Now I’m really curious who you’re talking to so much at night.” Jaehyun explained as he stepped to the dining table to quickly stuff his books and anything else he might need during the day into his backpack. Jaehyun has been teaching elementary school students for two years now and he loved his job, dealing with children was the easiest and most lovable job in the world for the boy.

"It is not important." Jaemin shook his head. "I thought going to college would mean I wouldn't have so many early classes." the young man growled.

“Don’t complain, these are your best years, you should enjoy it. However, whoever you are for is awake even at two in the morning, I think it would be time to introduce him.” Jaehyun replied as he set down his mug and took an apple from the basket on the table, then tossed it into his bag.

"Jeno isn't ready for it yet." Jaemin replied, but a minute later he looked at his brother in horror as he realized what he was saying. "And now please pretend I didn't say his name."

“I don’t do that. So who is this Jeno that you can only talk to at night?” Jaehyun asked curiously. Jaemin sighed, aware that he would not be able to avoid this conversation.

"He works in a cafe." the boy shrugged as he pulled out one of the chairs and sat down at the table to finish his coffee. "We can only talk if he cleans up in the evening and it's hard to arrange the meetings and all that stuff."

"And that's why you're sad?"

"Sure, I'm sad… Jeno is my boyfriend or what… it isn't entirely clear, but I miss him and I'm sad that his boss keeps occupying him."

"His boss sounds like an asshole." Jaehyun replied in a sympathetic voice.

“No, he’s not really an asshole, he just loves Jeno as if he were his brother. Anyway, it’s complicated, but he’s really a good person, they just have a lot to do.” Jaemin explained quickly.

"Didn't you say he works in a cafe?" Jaehyun asked as he pulled the zipper in his bag. "Is the place that popular?"

"Yes, I think so." Jaemin shrugged. "You're late anyway."

"Thanks to you." Jaehyun murmured. "Eat your breakfast and leave on time!" he added, then waved to his brother and left the apartment with quick steps.

Jaemin sighed worriedly as the door closed behind Jaehyun. Taeyong had already told him a thousand times that it would be better not to intervene and try to get Johnny and Jaehyun to meet somehow. But Jaemin hated to see his brother lonely and didn’t believe that exactly the same thing could happen after a thousand years. Jaehyun didn't remember his previous life, he didn't know even now that he was really not just an average person, but the Water God. The world was no longer as it used to be, people very rarely presented sacrifices to gods like Jaemin, Jaehyun and Youngho. People didn’t believe that what they read in folk tales could really be real. That is why they could not even see the many miracles that were secretly there on the streets of Seoul.

Jaemin just wanted to see his brother happy because he knew he was happy with Johnny. Jaemin just wanted to see that smile on his brother's face again and he wanted his story to end happily this time. Jeno didn't agree with him that Johnny and Jaehyun should meet either, but Jaemin could only hope that his brother's true memories would return if he met his first love.

*

Johnny hated paperwork and it was even harder to deal with papers after a night when he couldn’t sleep a wink. He could still see Jaehyun's face in his thoughts and had a hard time concentrating on today's list of dead souls because of it. The usual noises in the cafe filtered through the closed door into the small office, Mark enthusiastically greeted everyone out there who had just strayed for a cup of coffee.

"Johnny, hello!" Taeyong suddenly entered the office, and Johnny immediately pushed aside the papers lying in front of him.

“Taeyong, how do you get here? You haven't been among mortals for about half a year.” Johnny said as he got up from behind his desk to get around it and hugged his long-unseen friend. "How are you?"

"I've been better. Johnny, it's no coincidence that I'm really here.” Taeyong replied seriously.

“Is there something wrong? I know sometimes we just send souls to the afterlife minutes before midnight, but we try… Jisung is still learning, but Mark, Jeno and Lucas are really good grimm reapers actually.” Johnny said.

"That's not what this is about, Johnny." Taeyong shook his head. "The Imugi has woken up." he added, almost in a whisper.

"What?" Johnny asked after a few minutes of silence.

"The Imugi who killed Jaehyun has woken up." Taeyong repeated quietly.

“That is impossible, Jaehyun hasn’t been reincarnated a thousand years, yet…” Johnny suddenly paused as he looked into Taeyong’s sad and repentant eyes. "Taeyong." the man said with clenched teeth.

"I couldn't tell you, you would have risked too much." Taeyong said. "You have to understand that I couldn't tell you."

"Jaehyun was born again?" Johnny asked quieter as he dug his fingers into his hair. “I can’t believe that, Taeyong, you knew I was waiting for him! I've been waiting for him for a thousand years and now it turns out he's alive!”

"I'm sorry, Johnny, it wasn't up to me to decide if I could talk about it or not." Taeyong lowered his eyes. "He doesn't remember anything, it's like he's amnesic."

"He doesn’t remember anything?" Johnny asked in a desperate voice. "Not even me?" Taeyong shook his head.

“He doesn’t even know he’s the Water God. He lives his life like a completely average person.”

"Wait… if Jaehyun is here, so will Jaemin, right?" Johnny asked thoughtfully, seeking Taeyong's gaze. "Taeyong, did you hide Jaemin from me?"

"I had to ask him not to meet you." Taeyong confessed sincerely.

"Well, I can’t belive you!" Johnny hissed. "I've been waiting for Jaehyun for a thousand years, a thousand damn years!"

"Johnny, I know, but you have to understand me too!" Taeyong replied in a desperate voice. “You see what happened! The Imugi has woken up, so Jaehyun’s abilities are also about to wake up and who knows what’s going to happen now? Could you watch him die again?”

“I’m not going to watch him die again. I promised myself to save him next time.” Johnny replied in a firm voice, then walked to the door. "I have to find him…"

"Johnny, you may be making a mistake with this." Taeyong remarked softly. “No one can guarantee that not everything will happen again. This world is not the same as it was a thousand years ago, but your destiny has not changed. Jaehyun shouldn’t fall in love with you again.”

"Maybe it's all because it's our second chance to change our destiny." Johnny replied as he grabbed the doorknob. "I will not give up, neither can I give up for Jaehyun or myself." he added, then stepped out the door and took quick steps to leave the office. By the time Taeyong followed, the cafe door had closed behind the God of the Dead.

"Where did Johnny hyung go?" Mark asked as the other god stopped at the counter.

"To make a mistake." Taeyong sighed, then sat down on one of the bar stools. "Do you just serve coffee here?"

"It's a cafe, hyung." Mark replied. "But if you crave alcohol, I suggest Irish coffee."

"Have more alcohol in it than coffee." Taeyong asked, and Mark nodded before he began to serve the god.

*

Jaehyun quietly lowered his phone into his pocket as he exited the school building. Jaemin had long since back to home from college and was waiting for hime to have dinner together. The boy thought about what he would have to buy in the store as he walked slowly toward the bus stop.

"Jaehyun!" Sicheng's voice would have been recognized by the boy out of a thousand and he turned to his friend with a smile. Sicheng was his first colleague who was kind to him right from the first day he started working in elementary school. Since then, their collegial relationship has developed into a friendship and Jaehyun was soon able to call the other boy his best friend.

"Sicheng, I thought you went home already." Jaehyun said as he stopped to wait for his friend.

"No, I still had to go to the library." the other boy saif and hold up the book in his hand. "I needed a book for my next class."

"Is this about folk tales?" Jaehyun asked enthusiastically as he took the book from the boy. "Kids will love this, Sicheng, it's a good idea!"

"I think so too. Many no longer believe in these beings that are being written about here.” Sicheng explained as Jaehyun flipped through the book.

“Gumiho… Goblin…” Jaehyun muttered as he flipped through. “I loved these stories when I was a kid. My parents sometimes came up with tales that had such creatures. Jaemin was only calm if he listened to things like that before he fell asleep.” the boy added thoughtfully.

"I know a boy who is definitely a gumiho." Sicheng laughed, but Jaehyun didn't know if he was serious about his friend or not. "What's your program for tonight?"

"I have to buy a few things and then go home to cook dinner with Jaemin." Jaehyun said. "If you have nothing to do you can join us."

"Oh no, I'll meet the gumiho." Sicheng replied in a serious voice.

"I can't decide whether to take you seriously or not." Jaehyun laughed as he handed the book back to his friend.

"You can believe me, I saw he has a fox pearl." Sicheng shrugged. "His name is Yuta, he moved here from Japan about a year ago."

"And what is this nine-tailed fox friend of yours working?"

"He kills vengeful spirits." Sicheng shrugged again. "He has a contract with a god."

"Sicheng, why are you talking about such weird stuffs?" Jaehyun asked, smiling in confusion. Sicheng had always been a little weird, but that’s why Jaehyun liked his best friend so much.

"Just kidding." Sicheng replied, then looked at his watch. “But now I really have to go, Yuta is probably already waiting. Say hi to Jaemin for me!” he added, then waved to his friend and ran in the other direction. Jaehyun shook his head in amusement as he continued on toward the bus stop.

He arranged the shopping quickly while receiving three more messages from Jaemin, who was apparently not in a good mood. Jaehyun also bought ice cream because he guessed his brother might need it if he still couldn’t meet that particular Jeno guy today. Jaehyun was glad for him that Jaemin had found someone he could open up to. The callings at night may not have seemed like the best idea, but still Jaemin was happy and that was all that mattered.

Jaehyun also wanted to be happy, but he felt it was a difficult task to find someone he could unconditionally trust. Sometimes he felt like something was missing from his life — something that used to be his. Not his parents or his grandmother, but something else thet he himself didn't know what it could have been. Many times he saw no other color but blue, but he never told anyone that, he was afraid Jaemin would just be scared, as it all sounded impossible. Other times, he saw only water in his dreams, but he never realized what that might have meant. He felt that it might not even be worth dealing with the whole thing.

Immersed in his thoughts and with a packed bag in his hand, he walked home as he thought of his strange dreams and the significance of the color blue. Jaemin’s hair was also blue a couple of months ago, which didn’t help Jaehyun at all to forget the weirdness that sometimes happened to him.

"Sorry…" the boy muttered as he suddenly crashed into someone. He looked up in surprise, the other person was even taller than him. When he looked into the stranger's eyes, Jaehyun felt as if time had stopped. The honey-colored eyes that looked back at him seemed familiar, but Jaehyun couldn't tell where from. A strong, woody scent filled the air, and Jaehyun felt the stranger's breath tickle his face.

"Jae-Jaehyun?" the man asked barely audibly. Jaehyun dropped the bag he was holding in his hand and took a trembling step back. Because how did this stranger with honey-colored eyes know his name?


	2. Memories

Johnny saw the Jaehyun who was there in his memories. The Jaehyun who had been a part of his life for a thousand years, even when he couldn’t see him. However, Johnny remembered Taeyong's words and bitterly reminded himself that Jaehyun had no memories of their previous life. He has lived as an average person until now despite Seoul always hiding gods, gumihos, goblins, strong souls and spirits around him. Jaehyun was the Water God, but he didn't know about it.

Unexpectedly, it started to rain, Jaehyun quickly bent down to pick up the bag he had dropped earlier. When he straightened up Johnny was still there facing him and with the same inexplicable way he looked at him as before.

"Sorry… do we know each other?" Jaehyun asked, hugging the bag to his body.

"Yes." Johnny nodded. Jaehyun looked at him in fear and confusion because he didn't know who was facing him.

“I…” Jaehyun began, but quickly fell silent.

“Let’s have a coffee. Please.” the elder said, but Jaehyun took a small step back. "You don't have an umbrella, do you?"

"No." Jaehyun shook his head.

"Accept the coffee in exchange for getting soaked for me." the man said. "My name is Johnny, I don't want to hurt you, it's just a coffee invitation." he added and Jaehyun finally nodded. Then he shook his head.

"I can’t, my brother is waiting for me at home and it's all really weird anyway." Jaehyun replied.

"I know Jaemin, write him a message so you can get home later."

"Do you know Jaemin?" Jaehyun asked in shock as he looked into Johnny's eyes. He was sure he would have remembered Johnny if they had ever met. And Jaemin certainly never mentioned that he knew anyone named Johnny.

"Yes. Please trust me." Johnny's voice was almost pleading. Jaehyun sighed as his whole clothes were already soaked in the rain. He felt it would be really good to retreat to a dry place and the coffee wouldn’t have hurt him either. He finally nodded again and let Johnny - who was still unknown but perhaps not dangerous - grab his arm and pull him into the nearest café.

*

Jaemin raised an eyebrow as he read Jaehyun's message. His brother very rarely went anywhere after work, if at all, it was a program announced weeks earlier. Because Jaehyun was like that, he planned everything in advance, because even now he treated Jaemin as if he were a small child. Jaemin didn't always mind, but his brother's amnesia made everyday life difficult. The boy shook his head, not wanting to think anything bad, but Jaehyun was not safe in most cases when he walked the streets alone. And Jaemin was somehow sure Sicheng was no longer with his brother.

The air suddenly got colder, Jaemin shook his head quickly. Jeno was right in their last conversation, he wasn’t allowed to make it snow in early summer. Lately, the boy felt he had a harder time controlling his own abilities, perhaps because of the stress and because he was so worried about his brother. However, his phone soon began to ring and he picked it up without thinking.

"Jeno?" the boy asked with a smile. "Can we meet?"

"Unfortunately not. But Taeyong hyung had been here before, he’s saying some strange things to Mark.” Jeno replied quietly. "I think Johnny hyung realized your brother was born again." the other boy added even quieter.

"How?" Jaemin asked in shock. "Taeyong hyung told him?"

“I don’t know, I don’t understand the whole thing.” Jeno sighed. "I have to start gathering souls, but if Johnny hyung doesn’t come back before midnight, who will send them to the afterlife?”

"Wait… Johnny hyung went to find my brother?" Jaemin asked quickly. “Then this is why Jaehyun hyung isn’t coming home? They met? What will Taeyong hyung say about this? Will my brother regain his memories?”

"Jaemin, calm down!" Jeno asked in a desperate voice. "Even if your brother regains his memories, he will surely be scared and… Jaemin, Taeyong hyung said something else." Jeno added and took a deep breath again. Jaemin felt how worried the boy was now, not only about his brother and Johnny, but about him too.

"What?" Jaemin asked, trying to speak in a calmer voice.

"That the Imugi that killed Jaehyun hyung woke up."

"What?" Fright ran through Jaemin's body like an icy shower. He had always longed for his brother to be happy and get his memories of Johnny back. Jaemin wanted Jaehyun to meet his first love again in this life and also if they could change their destiny. Taeyong said it would never be easy, but now something had happened before Johnny and Jaehyun really met because the Imugi had woken up. Jaehyun could no longer live the lives of the average people because he was never average, he was the Water God and it seemed like it was time for everything to happen again after a thousand years. It was his brother’s only chance to try to change his fate with Johnny.

"I don't know how that could have happened, Jaemin." Jeno answered in a nervous voice. "But that's not right…"

"Jeno, I have to go now!" the other cut into the boy's words. "Don't be upset, you have to go anyway too, so…"

"Jaemin, what are you up to?" Jeno asked in an even more nervous voice.

"Nothing, trust me." Jaemin replied, but did not wait for Jeno to answer and quickly hung up.

*

Jaehyun quietly stared at the mug on the table in which his coffee was steaming. His clothes were still wet and it was raining outside in the same way as before with Johnny retreating to the first café they found.

"I've had better coffee before." Johnny stated as he put his mug back on the table. Jaehyun said nothing because he didn't understand why he was sitting here with a stranger who he had accidentally crashed into on the street. This stranger knew his name and Jaehyun felt uncomfortable as if he did not remember an old friend. But always only Sicheng and his brother were part of his life, he didn’t have time to make friends with others and he didn’t long for more friends.

"I don't understand why we're here." Jaehyun finally said and looked up at the other man. "Do you know me?"

"Yes." Johnny nodded after a few minutes of silence. Jaehyun couldn't decide what feelings he could read from the man's honey-colored eyes.

"But I don't know who you are." he replied and lowered his eyes. And at that moment, a sharp pain shot through his head and as he closed his eyes for a moment he saw a huge snake in front of him. He opened his eyes in horror as he looked back at the man.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked in a worried voice.

"Yes, I'm okay." Jaehyun lied. "Were we able to meet at university?" he then asked to divert the subject. He didn't want to tell a stranger in the least that he had a strange vision.

"No." Johnny shook his head and smiled faintly. “You won’t believe me if I tell you how we know each other. It's complicated, Jaehyun, because you have no memories of that time."

"I don't understand that…"

"Don't you sometimes feel like you're missing something in your life?" Johnny asked quietly as he cut into the other's words. Jaehyun looked back at the man again.

"How do you know…?" Jaehyun fell silent. His heart started beating harder and he didn’t know if it was because he was scared or because Johnny seemed familiar.

"I feel the same way every freaking day." Johnny replied and Jaehyun saw tears in his eyes. "I've been waiting for you for so long and now you're here, alive."

Jaehyun didn't know what to say. It felt like Johnny knew a lot more about him than he knew about himself and it was scary. They didn't know each other, but Johnny still seemed to know every little detail of Jaehyun's personality: the way he spoke, his facial expressions, the songs he loved… but how could he still know everything? Either way he tried to think, Jaehyun couldn't remember Johnny from his past and lowered his eyes again. He couldn't look at Johnny who still looked at him.

"I'm sorry I don't remember you." Jaehyun said softly and squeezed the strap of his bag for a moment. "I’m so sorry, but I have to go home, my brother is waiting for me."

"At least we could exchange phone numbers?" Johnny asked hopefully and Jaehyun nodded after a few minutes of thinking. He felt that it couldn’t be a problem to give out his phone number, as he didn’t have to pick up the phone if he didn’t want to and didn’t have to reply to messages too.

*

"What do you mean?" Sicheng asked in shock as Jaemin tried to calm down.

"Jeno said the Imugi woke up." Jaemin replied as Sicheng poured him a glass of water. "Didn't you feel anything weird around Jaehyun hyung?" the boy asked after taking a sip of the water.

"No. Jaehyun is exactly the same as he was, he doesn't remember anything. And I talked to him about all sorts of things…” the other boy explained, then pointed to the book that was now lying on the kitchen counter. "I want to introduce him to Yuta to see if that helps."

"I don't think he would regain his memory of meeting me." the gumiho remarked as he leaned on the kitchen counter. "But if he really met Johnny…"

"I don't know if they really met." Jaemin replied as he looked through the other two boys. "Sicheng hyung if you experience anything strange…"

"I'm going to protect Jaehyun, you can trust me." the boy nodded. “And I’ll tell you, of course, but try to be calm, Jaemin. If it snows in June it would be pretty weird…”

"I can control my abilities." Jaemin replied, clenching his teeth for a moment. “I want Jaehyun hyung to be happy. I was waiting for his memories to get back, but I didn’t want the Imugi to wake up either.”

"Oh, Jaemin, you know very well that the Imugi is also part of the fate of Jaehyun and Johnny." Sicheng replied quietly, then stroked the boy's head. “You are a very good little brother, Jaemin, we know you tried your best to make Jaehyun to be the same as before. Maybe a better future awaits him and Johnny in this life.”

"I have to find the Imugi before he finds Jaehyun hyung." Jaemin said resolutely.

"I can help you with that." Yuta said.

"I thought you should look for vengeful spirits for Johnny." Jaemin replied and glanced at the gumiho.

"Yes, but in the meantime I get used to other creatures as well." the man shrugged. "I'm trying to help you, Jaemin."

"I know and thank you, but I have to do it alone." Jaemin replied in a firm voice. “Thank you for helping me protect my brother so far. You did a lot for both of us, but only I can find the Imugi. And I feel like I don’t have much time, I don’t want Jaehyun hyung to die again…”

"Jaemin, calm down!" Sicheng asked, then quietly grabbed the younger boy's arms and pulled him close to him for a hug. "Everything will be fine, everyone is here and helping to you both!"

"Thanks." Jaemin whispered as he hugged the other tightly.

*

Johnny had a hard time saying goodbye to Jaehyun. Their meeting even now seemed like just a vivid dream and Johnny was afraid to wake up. But Jaehyun's memories were still covered in darkness, and the God of the Dead knew there was no point in forcing the boy to remember him again. Jaehyun needed time, but Johnny was already happy to know that the Water God was alive and well. However, Taeyong was telling the truth: Jaehyun really lived his life as if he were a completely average person and maybe that’s why Johnny didn’t have the heart to tell him the whole truth. Perhaps Jaehyun would have been shocked to learn that he was in fact the Water God and that the beings that only occur in folk tales actually exist. It wasn’t time yet to tell Jaehyun everything, but at the same time he felt he couldn’t take any longer.

By the time he got back to the café, it was past half past twelve. Mark and Lucas quietly cleaned the lobby of the café.

"Hyung, where have you been?" Mark asked as Johnny sat tierdly on one of the bar stools.

"I met Jaehyun." Johnny replied, but uttering it seemed even more incredible that he had indeed met his first love.

"What? With the Water God? With your first love?” Mark asked in shock and dropped his kitchen towel on one of the tables to get closer to the man. “Is he really alive? Taeyong hyung said things, but…”

"He is alive." Johnny nodded. " And he is exactly the same as he was, but he doesn't remember me."

"How can that be?" Lucas asked as he set down a portion of dirty mugs on the counter. "I mean he is a god like you, hyung…"

"He lost all memories of his past life." Johnny replied. “I’m afraid he’s in danger now, like he was then. Taeyong said the Imugi also woke up.”

"Do you want us to take care of Jaehyun hyung?" Mark asked quietly. "The protection of the grimm reapers could be quite strong."

"Keep your eyes on him." Johnny nodded, then looked at his watch. “Where are Jeno and Jisung? It's almost midnight.”

"Jisung still can't stand collecting souls." Mark replied and laughed softly. “They’ll be here in a few minutes, hyung. Can I make you a coffee in the meantime?”

"Yes, please." Johnny nodded and Mark went behind the counter and then made coffee for the God of the Dead between rattles.

*

Jaehyun saw water and endless blueness in his dream, which reassured him. However, the dream soon turned into a nightmare, Jaehyun spun uneasily as the water changed from blue to red and he saw the same huge snake that he had seen for a moment the day before. As he suddenly woke up and sat up in his bed he took a deep breath. The clock on his bedside table showed half past six, but the boy felt he would no longer be able to fall back asleep. He got up from his bed with trembling knees and went out into the kitchen to start making coffee. As he waited for the water to warm up he remembered Johnny and the day before, and his head began to throb again in pain.

"Who the hell could this Johnny have been?" he asked himself in a whisper as he searched all the drawers in the kitchen to find the painkiller.

"Hyung, what are you doing out here?" Jaemin's sleepy voice asked and as Jaehyun turned toward the kitchen entrance he found himself facing his brother's tousled head.

"I had a nightmare, nothing serious." Jaehyun smiled. “I felt like I couldn’t go back to sleep anymore, so I got up instead and started making coffee. But my head started to ache too, so now I’m looking for a painkiller. You don't know where we could have put it?”

"No." Jaemin shook his head sleepily. "Hyung, you should rest, it is so early."

“No, I really can’t go back to sleep anymore. But it's okay, I barely made anything for my classes for today.” Jaehyun replied as he continued to look for the painkiller.

“At least eat something before you take the medicine. I'll make you porridge.” Jaemin said, and with slow movements he took one of the dishes out of the kitchen cabinet.

"Go back to sleep…"

"If you don't sleep, I won't either." the younger boy shook his head.

"Didn't Jeno called last night?" Jaehyun asked with a smile as he returned to making coffee.

"We couldn't talk much, he trained someone." Jaemin shrugged. "I don't think we'll ever be able to go on a real date if it goes on like this." he added with a bitter smile on his face.

“Why don’t you invite him here? I don’t want to force it, but we could make dinner and then you could hang out in your room together.” Jaehyun replied, but he knew he was only talking so he didn't have to think about his headache, his dream, and Johnny. He didn’t mention Johnny to Jaemin, though the man claimed to know his younger brother, yet Jaehyun preferred not to involve the younger in this whole inexplicable situation.

"I don't know, that doesn't seem like a bad idea." Jaemin shrugged. "But you know, he works a lot and…"

“He’s not ready yet, I know. I just want to get to know him because I see you’re happy with him. And the most important thing for me is to you be happy, Jaemin.” Jaehyun replied in an honest voice. Jaemin was the only sure point in his life, he would have done anything for his brother and although nothing seemed simple sometimes with the younger Jaehyun would not have exchanged lives with anyone.

"Sometimes you could be a little more selfish, hyung." Jaemin replied softly as he began to stir the porridge. "You never think about your own happiness."

"I get to deal with that later." Jaehyun replied, then poured a mug of coffee for his brother, which he placed on the counter next to him. “First and foremost, I have to be sure that your life is okay. Then I can deal with myself.”

"I'm an adult too, Jaehyun hyung, you can't always put me in front of you." Jaemin replied and Jaehyun knew the boy was somewhat right. But now everything about his life was so confused anyway that he was even more willing to deal with everything being okay with Jaemin and not feeling anything of his own insecurity and confusion. Jaemin was well able to divert his attention from his problems and the huge snake he saw in his dream seemed like a scary problem.

*

“This is Ji Hansol, our latest colleague. Jaehyun, would you let him sit in for one of your classes if that wasn't a problem?” the headmistress asked as she introduced the young man standing next to him.

"Of course, I would love him to join my class." Jaehyun smiled and went to his new colleague after the meeting. "Where did you teach before?" the boy asked as they walked toward the classroom.

"I moved here from Busan, I was teaching at a primary school there." Hansol replied. “Have you been teaching for a long time? You look so young.”

"I've only been teaching for two years." Jaehyun replied and smiled. “But I really like it and every kid here is really cute. I think you will enjoy it too, but I think you already have experience.”

"Yes, a little." Hansol replied and opened the door of the classroom to then let Jaehyun in. The boy smiled at his kindness and then went forward. For a moment he felt Hansol touch his shoulder and at that minute the pain shot through his head again, just like the day before. He closed his eyes as he tried to stifle a painful moan, but again he saw strange images in front of his eyes. He saw himself and the water that something had painted red — Jaehyun understood then that it was his own blood. He saw Johnny and a moment later the huge snake that had haunted him for two days now.

"Are you okay?" Hansol's worried voice dragged the boy back to reality.

"Yes." Jaehyun nodded quickly and smiled as he tried to pretend nothing had happened. But deep down he knew that these visions were not normal, just as slowly nothing was normal about him. Jaehyun was scared because he didn't know exactly what was happening to him. But he had a feeling that if anyone knew what it was all about, it was Johnny.

*

Johnny knew Taeyong didn't think it was a good idea to meet Jaehyun again. But the God of the Dead did not currently feel that he should give anything about Taeyong's opinion. He was disappointed with his friend, he thought Taeyong would tell him if Jaehyun was born again, but he must have been wrong. Taeyong explained that this was not his decision alone and perhaps he should have been satisfied with that much, but Taeyong was more than a god for the other. Johnny thought they were real friends, but now he was disappointed to think that the God of Reincarnation did not believe that Johnny and Jaehyun would be able to rewrite their destiny.

"What are you doing here?" Jaehyun asked when he saw the man in front of the school building. "How do you know I'm working here?"

"I know a lot of things." Johnny shrugged. “I wanted to invite you for another coffee. I feel pretty bad about you being soaked last time because of me.”

"You don't have to feel bad about it." Jaehyun shrugged.

“Then I just want to have a better coffee with you. Is that such a problem?” Johnny asked and smiled at the boy.

"Johnny, listen… we don't know each other, let's not force this thing." Jaehyun asked in confusion. However, Johnny saw in front of him the same Jaehyun he had a thousand years ago. Who was his first love and certainly his last as well. Who he had to save his life now that they were given a second chance.

"You just don't remember me, but we know each other." Johnny replied quietly. "Please, it's just a coffee."

"You're not going to leave me alone until I say yes, are you?" Jaehyun asked after sighing.

"No." Johnny shook his head with a smile.

"A coffee and nothing more." Jaehyun finally agreed and let Johnny lead the way to any cafe.

Jaehyun had a hard time confessing to himself, but Johnny's presence still reassured him. He struggled with headaches all day, but now that they were together it was as if the pain was gone without a trace. Johnny chose a cute café, on the terrace of which they sat under one of the colorful umbrellas. Jaehyun let the man order for him, Johnny seemed to understand the kinds of coffees better than him.

"Can we talk or do you just want to have a quiet coffee?" Johnny asked after receiving their order.

"I think it's inevitable that we talk." Jaehyun replied as he mixed the ice in his coffee with his straw. "Will you tell me how do you know me?" Jaehyun finally asked, surprised at how hopeful his voice was.

"I'm afraid you wouldn't believe me." Johnny replied and laughed quietly.

"Things are happening to me these days that make me believe anything." Jaehyun shrugged. "I think I have visions."

"Visions?" Johnny asked in a curious voice. "What do you see?"

“You’re going to think that I am completely stupid,” Jaehyun muttered, lowering his head.

"Impossible, just tell me." the older encouraged him.

“I saw a snake I think… like those drawn in old folk tale books long ago. You know, the ones that have turned into dragons over the years.” Jaehyun replied, then began to laugh in confusion. "I told you it's stupid, it's…"

"No, it's not at all." Johnny replied in a serious voice. "Jaehyun, I don't think you're going to believe what I'm saying, but you need to know that a snake used to be a part of your life."

"What?" Jaehyun asked in confusion. "Are you trying to joke now?"

“I would never joke about that. Do you know what the Imugi is?”

"I think… a snake, I read about it in old Korean folk tales, it lives in water and…"

"It can turn into a dragon if it's strong enough." Johnny nodded. "Do you believe in previous lives?"

"I do not know." Jaehyun replied honestly. He remembered his grandmother, who more or less believed in reincarnation and that no one had only one life. Jaehyun couldn't decide what to believe. He always tried to concentrate on the present mostly because Jaemin’s growing up was the most important thing for him.

“Everyone has more lives. Only vengeful spirits cannot return.” Johnny replied and Jaehyun suddenly raised his head. Sicheng also mentioned vengeful spirits killed by his gumiho friend.

"Do you know a gumiho?" Jaehyun asked before Johnny could continue.

"Yes." Johnny nodded without thinking. "I know many kinds of beings." he added then and shrugged.

"Sicheng would have told the truth…?" Jaehyun asked softly and lowered his eyes.

“Sicheng? How do you know him?” Johnny asked, realizing that Sicheng might have known all along that Jaehyun was alive too.

"He is my co-worker and my best friend." Jaehyun replied and looked back at the other. "Because of them, I really should know you too, since you know him, the gumiho, Jaemin too - I really don't understand this."

"You lost your memories of me, Jaehyun." Johnny replied, then sighed. “And you don’t even remember yourself. You are not an average person and I am not average either.”

"I don't understand you." Jaehyun replied quietly and saw Johnny blink at him in confusion before taking another deep breath.

"Please don't get upset, but now I have to tell you the truth." Johnny replied in a serious voice. “A thousand years ago, you and I fell in love. And then it seemed impossible. Jaehyun we are not from the human world. You are the Water God and I am the God of the Dead and a thousand years ago all gods and goddesses feared that our love could be dangerous to humans. Because according to all recorded legends, we could not have loved each other, but one of us should have died.”

“Johnny, this…” Jaehyun began, but fell silent, not knowing what to say.

"You are my first love, Jaehyun." Johnny replied quietly. "I never forgot you, I waited a thousand years for you and now you're here."

"I do not know what to say." Jaehyun replied honestly. He had no memories of Johnny and no idea what he should feel for the other, who was supposed to have his first love. And that Johnny claimed that they were both gods seemed downright impossible. But when he thought about what had happened to him in the past, it still didn’t seem so unthinkable that something like that could be in the background.

"The things you see, I think, are not visions, but your memories." Johnny said after a few minutes of silence. “Your memories are coming back because of the Imugi. You’ve started to remember and your abilities are starting to wake up slowly.”

"This Imugi… why have it been there in my past?" Jaehyun asked, his voice sounding scared, though he tried to do everything he could to not seem terrified.

“Since we didn’t kill each other, the other gods and goddesses woke up the Imugi. It killed you, you died in my arms, Jaehyun. ” There were still tears in Johnny's eyes as they looked at each other. "I couldn't save you."

Jaehyun lowered his eyes, hearing love in Johnny's voice that had been unknown to him until now. His heart was pounding strangely as he thought that in a past life this man had loved him unconditionally. He didn't remember anything, but Johnny was real and their story was much more complex than Jaehyun had first guessed. He didn't know that his life would take such a turn because of some strange dreams. Johnny claimed that Jaehyun is the Water God, but no one today believed in such things. He remembered the book that Sicheng had taken out of the school library a day ago to present an exciting lesson for the kids. In the past, people believed that even the tiniest things had some kind of spirit or god. Nowadays, however, this is already worn out of everyday life, and Jaehyun did not think until this moment that the gods could still walk among men.

Johnny was the God of the Dead and as he looked at him he could not say that he imagined him to be the one who would send dead souls to the afterlife. The honey-colored eyes, his smile, and the love that Jaehyun also felt even if he didn't remember anyway did not suit a god who was responsible for the dead.

"Jaehyun?" the boy shook his head as Johnny addressed him.

"I'm sorry I have to go home." Jaehyun said quickly and grabbed his bag, then got up from the table so that he could almost run away. Johnny shouted after him, but pretended not to hear or look back. Johnny was kind, but Jaehyun now wanted to be alone more than anything.

*

The cafe was already empty, Mark and Jeno were moving faster together with the cleaning, but they were much quieter than usual. Jisung sat next to the bar counter and filled the sugar containers. Lucas had more than an hour to get back in time with the dead souls, Johnny since he came back locekd himself up at the back of the café, true to his confined habit.

"Johnny hyung wasn't in a good mood when he came back." Mark remarked as he helped Jeno sort the glasses by the counter.

"If he met Jaehyun hyung, it's not so surprising." Jeno replied. He was much more nervous than usual because Jaemin hadn't been looking for him almost all day and was afraid something had happened to the boy. Jaemin was very stubborn when it came to his brother and Jeno might have made a hasty decision when he told him that Taeyong was here and what he was saying.

“Do you think they really met? He had been waiting for him for a thousand years.” Mark said quietly. "I couldn't wait a thousand years for someone."

"Are you sure?" Jeno asked. "In our case, a thousand years doesn't seem like so much." he added.

"I can't even imagine wanting one person in my whole life." Mark shrugged. “It doesn’t make sense to think about this anyway, we are grimm reapers. Duty comes first.”

"Yes, I know." Jeno muttered as he set aside his kitchen towel. "These have yet to be washed." he added, pointing to the pile of dirty mugs.

“I’ll do it soon. You'd better help Jisung because I don't think him doing well with the sugar. " Mark said and took the dirty mugs.

"Jisung, you better pick out the napkins." Jeno sighed, then walked over to the boy and took the sugar bowl from him.

“Sorry, it’s just that Lucas will be back soon and the ghosts…” Jisung shuddered for a moment.

"Jisung, ghosts can't hurt you." Jeno said. “You are a grimm reaper, calm down and help those spirits if that happens. It makes no sense to be afraid of them.”

“Yet…” Jisung pulled his own hair in frustration. “I don’t know why Taeyong hyung thought I was going to be a good grimm reaper. I have always been afraid of ghosts.”

"Maybe that's why he chose you." Mark laughed, but soon his smile melted from his face. "Why did it suddenly get so cold?" he asked as he looked into Jeno's eyes. Jeno shivered too.

“Jeno…” the boy thought for a moment he was imagining that he is hearing Jaemin’s voice, but then he turned around in fear and found himself facing the God of Winter and Ice. Jaemin stood motionless in the middle of the café, blood slowly flowing from his forehead toward his collarbone and painting his snow-white skin red. "I don't feel very well." Jaemin's voice was hoarse as he took an uncertain step forward.

"Jaemin!" Jeno put down the sugar bowl quickly, Jaemin's knees trembled and almost fell before he could catch him. When the boy clung to the nearest table, it was suddenly covered in ice.

Jeno quickly went closer and caught the boy before he could fall to the ground. “Jaemin, what happened to you? Jaemin? Do you hear me?” the boy asked in a desperate voice, the touching Jaemin's body was even colder than usual.

“The Imugi…” Jaemin’s voice was still hoarse.

"Mark, bring me something to stop the bleeding!" Jeno asked in a still desperate voice, but he had no idea what he should do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> Chapter two is arrived, I hope you all liked it :)  
> Actually I am not sure that the whole story will be six chapters in the end. This time I don't have a clear storyline in my head.  
> Anyways I am trying to update as much as possible, but somtimes I do get serious writer blocks sadly.  
> Thank you so much for checking out my fic, I appreciate all the kudos and comments left on my work :)


	3. Past Life

The café’s windows were covered in a thick layer of frost, it was as cold as if they had been in the middle of winter, and Jeno desperately wiped the blood from Jaemin's forehead and face. His hand trembled, holding the bloody kitchen towel, and he realized he had no idea what he should do. He didn't know what had happened and it just made him feel even more nervous. Jaemin talked about the Imugi, but he couldn't say more, he was weak for saying anything else. The café was mostly visited by the dead and who lived never came here harmed. Jaemin was the first god to cross the threshold of the café in this state, but Jeno was sure he wouldn't let the boy leave like the dead souls he had to gather for Johnny before midnight every day.

"Shall I tell Johnny hyung…?" Jisung asked nervously.

“Yeah, we should talk to Johnny. He's a god, isn't he, Jeno?” Mark asked. "It's so damn cold…"

"Yeah, he is a god and I don't know what to do!" Jeno said nervously, the kitchen towel was already almost completely painted red by Jaemin's blood.

"What the hell…?" At Johnny's voice, Jeno turned around and looked pleadingly at the God of the Dead. The grimm reaper did not know if Jisung had finally spoken to the God of the Dead or he had felt for himself that something was wrong.

"Hyung, help me!" the boy asked in a pleading voice, his eyes teary with despair from the feeling of helplessness.

For the first time in Jeno's life, he saw horror reflected on Johnny's face, the air was so cold that everyone was shivering already. Jaemin groaned softly, his eyes closed, but blood was still flowing from the wound on his forehead. Jeno felt the god weaken, but he shook his head because he didn't want to think he could lose him.

“Jaemin…,” Johnny muttered as he knelt beside Jeno and carefully took the blood-soaked kitchen towel from his hand.

“I don’t know what happened, hyung…” Jeno sniffed as Johnny looked at the wound on Jaemin’s forehead.

“He was attacked by someone or something…” Johnny muttered further, then pushed Jaemin’s hair away from his forehead. "Hey, Jaeminnie, can you hear me?" he asked quite quietly.

“H-hyung…” Jaemin whimpered, but he was still clearly not with him. Jeno felt his tears begin to fall and nervously tried to wipe them off his face.

"I'm here, everything's fine." Johnny said in a kind voice and took the boy's hand with his other hand. “Jaeminnie, it’s very cold in my café because of you. Can you hear me? You can't go to sleep. "

“I don’t want to… because of Jaehyun hyung…” Jaemin spoke so softly that Jeno wasn’t sure if the boy really spoke at all.

"You don't want to die, do you?" Johnny asked softly.

“Of course he doesn’t want to die. Hyung, do something!” Jeno asked nervously as he began to tremble even more in the cold.

"Shut up a little bit, Jeno, I'm just trying to do something!" Johnny growled nervously. “Jaeminnie, you remember what Taeyong said, right? In the moment between life and death, wish with a strong desire and then a warm-hearted god can listen and grant that wish for you. Hey… Jaeminnie?”

“Hyung…” Jaemin’s voice was hoarse as he cracked open his eyes. "I don't want to die, Johnny hyung." the voice of the god was suddenly louder and Jeno felt as if the air was no longer so freezing in the café.

"I know." Johnny nodded a little as Jaemin opened his eyes completely. The wound on his forehead healed before Jeno's eyes a moment later and although Jaemin was still pale he seemed more vivid.

“Jaemin? Are you okay?" Jeno asked in a worried voice as the boy slowly tried to sit up.

"Better." Jaemin nodded and smiled weakly as the frost slowly disappeared from the café windows. The temperature gradually began to warm up, until finally everything returned to normal. Jaemin was still trembling as Jeno helped him off the ground and pulled out a chair from one of the nearby tables to help to sit the god on it.

"Mark, get him some water." Johnny said as he sat down to the the table across from Jaemin. "You were very lucky to come here." he added quite softly as he took the boy's cold hand.

"That's not how I wanted to meet you, hyung." Jaemin lowered his eyes as Jeno turned to wipe away his tears and then sat down on the other side of the boy at the table.

"How could you save Jaemin, hyung?" Jeno asked, keeping his hand under the table because he knew he was still shaking.

"One god can save another god, all he needs is a strong wish." Johnny shrugged. "It is difficult to be a god, Jeno, you better not know every detail."

“I need to know every detail, because if that happens to Jaemin again, then…” Jeno suddenly paused and closed his eyes.

"Jeno, I'm fine." Jaemin said softly and quietly laced their fingers under the table. "I'm really fine."

“I just…” Jeno didn’t know what to say. The last minutes seemed like long hours and he was afraid he might really have lost Jaemin forever in those moments.

"How do you know each other?" Johnny asked as Mark returned with the water. Jaemin quickly sipped from the glass and as he put it back on the table a thin layer of ice slowly appeared on its sides.

"It's a long story, hyung." Jaemin replied and lowered his eyes. "We don't want to bore you…"

"How long have you been dating?" Johnny asked as he looked from one boy to the other. “Why didn’t you tell me? And you, Jaemin, why didn't you contact me? Jaehyun was alive all along and I didn’t even know about him… ”Johnny’s voice was nervous and accusing at the same time.

“I’m sorry, hyung, Taeyong hyung didn’t want you to know. Jaehyun hyung is amnesic, he doesn’t remember you and anything else that happened a thousand years ago. I… wanted him to regain his memories and then everything could have been like it used to be… ”

"I met him." Johnny said softly. "He really doesn't remember me."

"I know… but now everything has changed, hyung." Jaemin replied in a serious voice. "The Imugi is here too, in this world and he needs Jaehyun hyung's skills again."

"Did you meet the Imugi?" Johnny asked quietly and Jaemin nodded.

"He has a human form." the boy replied. “I was wounded because of him, he is stronger than he used to be. But he's not strong enough to be a dragon, he still needs Jaehyun hyung's skills. "

"Jaehyun is not safe." Johnny concluded, then plowed nervously through his own hair with his fingers.

"You told him that he is the Water God, didn't you?" Jaemin asked. "Maybe his memories will return and…"

“Jaemin, you know it’s not that simple either. I tried to talk to him, I told him details of our past life, but he is confused and has every reason to be confused.” Johnny sighed nervously. “I’ve been waiting for Jaehyun for a thousand years, but I don’t know what to do now. I don’t want to scare him.”

“You know he’s in danger, too. The Imugi knows his face and will not spare his life…”

"I know you don't have to make me remember how things are going with the Imugi."

“Hyung, I tried to help, but the Imugi was stronger than me. You saw what happened too.” Jaemin replied nervously.

“I’ll call your brother…” Johnny muttered, then got up from the table and went to the back of the café to make a phone call.

“So…” Mark began as he took Johnny’s place and elbowed himself on the table. "You're dating a god, aren't you?" he asked with a grin as he looked at Jeno.

“Mark, this isn’t the best moment right now…” Jeno began, but Jaemin laughed softly beside him.

"I'm Jaemin, the God of Winter and Ice, I've heard a lot about you, Mark." the boy smiled.

"It's interesting because I haven't heard a word about you." Mark replied with a fake insult in his voice, then grinned again. "But I hope you'll come to the café more after this." he added.

*

Jaehyun ran so fast that everything around him seemed like just a blur. He took a deep breath as Johnny's words ran through his head. Something happened to Jaemin and he wasn't there to protect his brother. Johnny called, the man who had allegedly waited a thousand years for him. Jaehyun felt as if he had dropped into a bizarre fairy tale. There seemed that nothing in his life is what it seemed to be and he was confused. He was afraid that the one who faced him in the mirror might not be himself. He was worried about his brother’s involvement in all of this as well. Johnny said Jaemin was better now, but Jaehyun couldn't believe him until he saw the boy with his own eyes.

He was still tormented by headaches and visions that might have really been memories of his past life. Jaehyun wasn't sure he should trust Johnny unconditionally, but the man seemed to know most about his past.

"Hyung." Jaemin's face was pale as Jaehyun stepped closer to him and then hugged him tightly. The café was quiet, it was already past midnight and there werer no sign of guests. Johnny sat at the bar counter and when their gazes met Jaehyun nodded gratefully at him.

"What happened, Jaemin?" Jaehyun asked as he pulled away from his brother to look him in the eye.

However, Jaemin hesitated and looked at the boy standing next to him for a moment. Jaehyun only then looked around the café. In addition to Johnny and Jaemin, there were three other boys here, but none of their faces were familiar to the boy.

"I told you about the Imugi." Johnny said as he got up from the bar counter and walked closer to them. "Looks like your brother met him."

“I don’t understand what’s going on…” Jaehyun’s voice was uncertain as he looked at Johnny and then back at his brother.

“Jeno called, saying Taeyong hyung said the Imugi had woken up. I wanted to find him before he could find you.” Jaemin explained and rolled his eyes. "But the Imugi was stronger than me, I was injured and I didn't know what to do, so I came here."

"It's a café." Jaehyun stated. "Is your Jeno working here?"

"Your Jeno…" one of the unknown boys snorted, then laughed.

"I'm Jeno." the boy who stood beside Jaemin introduced himself. "Nice to meet you, hyung." he added and smiled kindly at Jaehyun.

“Oh…” Jaehyun looked back at Johnny for a moment. "So you're the asshole boss." he added.

"Hyung!" Jaemin said in shock. "I said he wasn't even an asshole… Jeno is a grimm reaper, he has to collect dead souls to Johnny to send them to the afterlife."

"Asshole boss?" Johnny asked indignantly, then looked at Jaemin. “How could you tell him that? He has no memory of me and now he thinks I'm an asshole… great.”

"I didn't tell him that, he inferred it from himself!" Jaemin replied angrily. “But we deviated from the topic. Jaehyun hyung is in danger because of the Imugi.”

"I don't feel in danger, Jaemin, there's no point in worrying about me." Jaehyun replied to reassure his brother.

“Your brother is right. You are in danger, Jaehyun, even if you don't feel that way.” Johnny said in a serious voice. “If Jaemin was right, the Imugi is also walking the streets of Seoul in human form now. And that means you're nowhere safe. I told you he wanted to become a dragon, he needed your skills to do so.”

"I don't have those skills, Johnny." Jaehyun replied dryly. "I don't think I'm the same person you want me to believe."

“You’re amnesic, hyung…,” Jaemin began, but his brother silenced him with a glance.

"None of you thought I was just an average person, right?" Jaehyun asked as he looked through Johnny and Jaemin. "My face may be the same as the Water God’s, but I'm not sure I'm his reincarnation."

There was silence in the café for minutes, and Jaehyun read pain from Johnny's face as the elder lowered his head. Jaemin took a step forward and then took his brother's hand.

"You are the Water God, hyung." said the younger in a serious voice. “I am the God of Winter and Ice, you have always been my brother. But if you don’t believe us, you can talk to Taeyong hyung.”

"I don't know who it is." Jaehyun replied quietly.

"Jaehyunnie, they're talking about me." Taeyong stood in the back of the café and smiled quietly as Jaehyun raised his head to look at him. "We met a long time ago." the God of Reincarnation added in an emotional voice.

"Hyung…" Jaehyun's voice trembled. Taeyong's face was as familiar as if a long-lost family member was facing him. He could feel tears gathering in his eyes and he was scared because he didn’t know exactly what was happening to him. Memories rushed him from a life he knew would never be his again.

*

_Jaemin was still tiny, and Jaehyun felt his whole life revolve around his younger brother. As he quietly performed his duty, he always thought of Jaemin in mind and of being able to teach him as much as possible. The young god was not yet fully aware of the abilities which he was born with. He was curious and learned quickly, but Jaehyun sometimes saw impatience in the boy's movements. The Water God concluded that it could not be easy to control the winter._

_"Maybe I'm not a good enough teacher for him." Jaehyun said as he looked at his friend. Taeyong, the God of Reincarnation, rarely visited the human world. However, Jaehyun knew that if he needed advice, he could turn to him with confidence._

_"You're a good teacher." said the other god in a reassuring voice. “Jaemin is still young and has no easy task. Winter is a stubborn thing, it’s hard to control, but if Jaemin finds what he needs in himself and finds peace about his abilities, everything will be fine.”_

_"He doesn't fit with this whole winter thing." Jaehyun said quietly. “I think he feels the same way. Do you know why he was chosen?”_

_"I don't know about his previous lives." Taeyong shook his head sadly. "But that doesn't mean he can't be good at what he does."_

_"I know." Jaehyun nodded and determined to do his best to make Jaemin stronger._

_When a sacrifice was first presented to the God of Winter and Ice, Jaemin’s eyes turned light blue. Jaehyun thought he had never seen his younger brother so happy. The end of winter had already passed, but it seemed as if time had frozen at that moment. Jaemin smiled as the last time people's worlds were covered in snow in that year._

_"Hyung, I’m doing that, can you see?" Jaemin asked with a smile as they watched from the edge of the mountain as the snow fell non-stop._

_"Yes, I can see it, Jaemin." the elder nodded, then gently stroked his brother's hair._

_Not long after, Jaehyun happily told Taeyong how much Jaemin had progressed and how happy he was when a sacrifice was presented to him._

_"Many more people died from freezing the night before than ever before." Taeyong creased the sleeves of his robe in confusion as he avoided the gaze of the Water God. “People are going to light huge fires today because winter is getting darker and this season promises them nothing. Jaemin will be weaker, but don’t let him get sad.”_

_"It was just one day of happiness for him, right?" Jaehyun asked softly and lowered his eyes._

_“It was the first time people had presented a sacrifice to him. Maybe this will be the last one too.”_

_“Hyung, why are you so cold? Jaemin is just a child…”Jaehyun looked for Taeyong's gaze, but the other god didn't look at him._

_"He better learn early on that people will never love him, but will be afraid of him."_

_"How can you say that?" Jaehyun asked in a sad voice._

_"You should be scared, too." Taeyong replied more quietly and finally raised his head to look into the other's eyes. "In winter, the waters freeze, and Jaemin can even be your enemy when he grows up."_

_"You know I don't care about these prophecies or visions or anything. None of those were true about me and Youngho.” Jaehyun replied nervously. "If you want to talk about this, you'd better go."_

_"I give life back to people and the gods, yet they are reluctant to see it." Taeyong snorted. “It’s not surprising unfortunately. But you better know you're doomed to death if you stick with Youngho. The gods are angry and worried, your love is dangerous to the human world.”_

_"They know nothing about our love." Jaehyun replied firmly._

_"What are you talking about?" Youngho's voice was strong and dark. Taeyong shuddered for a moment, then turned around. The God of the Dead stood in the doorway, his gaze stiff and hard._

_“Youngho…” Jaehyun began, but Youngho just gestured to him to stay silent._

_“Is it still the same stupidity, Taeyong? I don't care what the other gods think. Jaehyun and I are not going to turn our backs on each other because someone once predicted that we should both die if we love each other.” Youngho's voice was calm, but Jaehyun felt in him the darkness he had very rarely experienced when the God of the Dead spoke to him._

_"I'm just trying to help you." Taeyong replied._

_"I'm not even sure if we can really call you our friend anymore." Youngho growled._

_“I am your friend and that is why I want to protect both of you. If you really love each other, you would be able to give it up.” Taeyong replied bitterly. "But if not, there will be consequences."_

_"I am responsible for death, Taeyong and the gods are not immortal either." Youngho replied with clenched teeth. "Whatever they plan, they better be afraid of me because I'm taking revenge."_

_Taeyong said nothing, but when he had taken a step forward Youngho lowered his head and a moment later turned into a huge black serpent. Taeyong took a step back as Jaehyun quietly watched Youngho's serpent shape._

_*_

"You remember him?" Johnny asked in disbelief as Jaehyun inadvertently took a step back. His head throbbed in pain as he tried to grasp what he had seen a few minutes ago. Johnny's words came to his mind that a snake used to be a part of his life. But what if that snake wasn't the Imugi? What if it was all just a lie and Johnny was that snake really? The Serpent of the Underworld…

“I have memories…” Jaehyun muttered, looking at Taeyong for a moment. "Just details… I mean, it can't be the whole picture…"

"Hyung, sit down a little, you're pale." Jaemin said in a worried voice as he pulled out a chair.

"No, Jaemin, we're going home." Jaehyun said quickly and held out his hand to his brother. "Come on, I don't want to burden Johnny anymore and I'll have to go to work in a few hours anyway, so…"

"Jaehyun, are you okay?" Johnny asked as he took a step closer to the other boy. Jaehyun was sure that the God of the Dead saw terror in his eyes. “Before… you saw something, right? A memory?”

"No." Jaehyun shook his head and turned back to his brother. "Jaemin, let's go."

"Hyung…" Jaemin began.

"I don't want to argue, we're going home!" Jaehyun said nervously and turned his back on Johnny, then opened the café’s door to give momentum to his words.

*

Taeyong watched in confusion as Johnny arranged the papers behind his desk. They had already arranged everything about the dead souls of the day, but the God of the Dead was still not calm. Taeyong knew that the main reason for this could be Jaehyun and the Imugi that attacked Jaemin.

"Jaehyun is afraid of me." Johnny said quietly, not looking up from the papers. "As he looked at me… I saw fear in his eyes."

"He doesn't remember you, he's confused." Taeyong replied softly.

"After a while, we won't be able to explain everything with this, Taeyong." Johnny slowly raised his head and looked into the other god's eyes. "I want to get the old Jaehyun back, but why is it so hard?"

"Because he's amnesic." Taeyong replied as softly as before. "You should let him go…"

"Don't even say it!" Johnny hissed as he got up from his chair and leaned on the table. “I’ve been waiting for him for a thousand years, I won’t let him slip out of my hands. I will find the Imugi before he could kill Jaehyun.”

"Jaemin had already found it and it didn't end well…"

"I am the God of the Dead, Taeyong." Johnny replied in a calmer voice.

“All right and what if you find the Imugi? Jaehyun's memories will not return from that." Taeyong replied and Johnny bitterly acknowledged that the man was right. Jaehyun may never be the old one, but he still could not feel differently toward the Water God than he did a thousand years ago. Jaehyun was the beginning and the end for Johnny.

*

Jaehyun felt terribly scattered the next morning and scheduled a free session for his class as he tried to overcome his headache. Even now, due to the events of last night, he sometimes found his hands shaking and the painkillers had no apparent effect on his headache. If Jaemin was telling the truth, he was really in danger, but he wasn't sure it wasn't because of Johnny – who is the God of the Dead.

"You're very pale." Hansol said as he put tea in a paper cup in front of Jaehyun on the table. "Didn't you sleep enough?"

“We can put it that way. There was a little accident with my brother yesterday.” Jaehyun replied in a troubled voice. "Thank you for the tea."

"No problem. Is everything all right with your brother?” Hansol asked as he pulled an empty chair closer to the table and sat down next to Jaehyun.

"I think." Jaehyun shrugged. "I didn't wake him up in the morning to go to school, he better rest today."

"Sure, was the accident serious?"

"I don't know, by the time I got there to the café he was already better." Jaehyun replied, thinking that perhaps he should have thanked Johnny, Jeno, and everyone who was there for taking care of his brother. But he shook his head, he wasn't sure it was a good idea to meet Johnny again, but he felt uncomfortable because of his conscience.

"At least he didn't have serious injuries, you did good to him to let him rest today." Hansol replied kindly, then patted Jaehyun on the shoulder and at that moment the boy's headache was stronger again. A burning sensation ran through his whole body as he closed his eyes for a moment. Confused images appeared before his eyes, he saw the snake, Jaemin's teary gaze, and his own bloody fingers. "Jaehyun?" Hansol's worried voice and frightened gaze could mean no good.

"My headache just don’t want to go away." Jaehyun said softly, then took a sip of the tea Hansol had brought him.

“Maybe you should have rested today too. Go home earlier, I’ll finish the session with the kids, you’ve already helped me a lot.” Hansol said and Jaehyun nodded, but he knew he had to visit Johnny's café before he could go home.

*

Jaehyun entered the café reluctantly and also felt a little nervous about putting himself in such a situation. It was too late to call Johnny or send him a message that he was coming here, but Jaehyun hoped that maybe the God of the Dead would be here and if he thanked him for what he had done for Jaemin yesterday, they would no longer owe anything to each other.

"Oh, Jaehyun hyung!" an overly cheerful voice said as the boy closed the door behind himself.

"Uhmmm… you were here yesterday too, right?" Jaehyun asked as he stepped closer to the counter.

"I'm Lucas, I’m a grimm reaper too." the tall boy smiled. “Is Jaemin feeling better? Jeno was pretty nervous about him…”

"He rested at home today." Jaehyun nodded. "I don't really know how things are going here, but Johnny might be here somewhere?"

“Yeah, he was just screaming in the office with the coffee bean supplier. I mean, by phone.” Lucas replied, glancing toward the door that led to the back of the café. "He isn’t in a good mood today." he added almost whispering.

"I understand… can I go in to him or should I come back another time?"

"Hyung, I’m sure he would be happy to see you." Lucas replied with a grin. "Feel free to go in." he added and nodded reassuringly as Jaehyun took a deep breath and walked to the door.

Jaehyun wasn't sure he really should be here. Yet he felt uncomfortable about last night because he should have said thank you even when they were here. He looked down for a moment at the small package in his hand and suddenly felt uncomfortable because he had just brought coffee beans to Johnny as a thank you gift. But in the end, he knocked on the door and pressed the doorknob to then enter to the back of the café.

"Lucas, it's not really suitable now…" Johnny began, but when he saw Jaehyun standing on the other side of his desk he stopped.

"If it's not suitable, I can come back later." Jaehyun said in confusion.

"No, no, I'm glad to see you." Johnny said quickly and got up from his chair to get around the table and then stop in front of the other boy. "How's your brother?"

“I let him rest at home today, maybe he’ll be better by tomorrow, he is a little weakened. Maybe you could tell Jeno to visit him tonight.”

"Okay, I'll tell him." Johnny nodded, then cleared his throat. "And how are you?" he then asked a little quieter.

"I’m fine." Jaehyun nodded. "My head hurts all day, I think it could be the side effect for the visions…"

"You should have rested too." Johnny replied in a worried voice.

"I left work early today, I really… really wanted to thank you for what you did for Jaemin yesterday." Jaehyun replied, then picked up the package in his hand and pressed it into the other’s hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to thank you yesterday. These are special coffee beans, although they are certainly not as fancy as the ones you sell here…”

"Jaehyun, you shouldn't have brought a present." Johnny replied, but a soft smile appeared in the corner of his mouth.

"That's how I say thank you." Jaehyun shrugged. "But I don't want to disturb you anymore, so…"

"You don't want to drink a coffee?" Johnny asked, cutting into the boy's words. "Whatever you ask for, you are my guest and believe me, I sell the best coffee in Seoul."

“It may not be a good idea,” Jaehyun began, but thinking for a moment that this might be the perfect time to ask Johnny if he could really turn into a snake.

"Please?" Jaehyun felt lost for a moment in Johnny's honey-colored eyes, which now seemed much more familiar than before. Johnny smiled and waited hopefully for the other boy to respond.

"Just a coffee." Jaehyun finally agreed and smiled back.

Jaehyun soon realized that Johnny could indeed sell the best coffee in Seoul. The café seemed popular as the two of them sat by one of the windows and quietly sipped the iced Americano that Lucas had served them with a huge smile.

"Your coffee is delicious." Jaehyun said, but he felt embarrassed.

"I know." Johnny smiled as he put his own coffee on the table. "I'm glad you came, it's good to see you."

“Johnny…” Jaehyun felt sad as he sighed quietly. "I still don't understand this whole thing that's happening… but I don't think I'm the Jaehyun you've been waiting for." he added.

"But you have memories." Johnny replied. "Gradually you will remember everything that happened in your past life where I was with you."

"It's possible, but I'll never be the same." Jaehyun replied. "My memories are confused, I don't know if I'll ever really remember every detail."

"I've been waiting for you for a thousand years, Jaehyun, I think I can wait a little longer for you to get your memories back." Johnny replied and his voice was honest. Jaehyun was sure that there might really have been a moment in their past when they really loved each other.

"You can turn into a snake, can't you?" Jaehyun asked in a more serious voice and lowered his eyes. “In one of my memories, I saw you turn into a snake. I can't be sure that you and the Imugi are not one and the same.”

“A thousand years have passed, Jaehyun, and I have become stronger, now I can turn into a dragon. I was never the Imugi.” Johnny replied in an honest voice and a moment later gently took Jaehyun's hand, which he rested on the table. “If you don’t believe me, I’ll prove it. I don't need your skills, Jaehyun, I only need you. I love you, just like I did a thousand years ago.”

Jaehyun didn't know what to say, he felt embarrassed that he saw love in Johnny's eyes and it filled his heart with warmth. He lowered his eyes and for a few moments looked only at his own and Johnny's hands. Jaehyun thought he wanted to be happy, but even now he was confused about his past and who he really was.

"Why did you fall in love with me?" Jaehyun asked as he looked back at Johnny. "If everyone thought it would have been forbidden to us to love each other long ago, then why did it happen anyway?"

"You didn't see me the same way others did." Johnny replied honestly. "Do you know what everyone thinks when you think of the God of the Dead?"

"To death?" Jaehyun asked.

"Exactly." Johnny nodded. “I see more deaths a day than anyone else and I’ve never been afraid of anything befere I meet you. When you looked at me, I didn’t see in your eyes the fear I saw in everyone else’s eyes. It was easy to falling in love with you, Jaehyun and it was easy to only love you.”

Jaehyun felt the same warmth in his heart as he had a few minutes earlier. He felt the fire inside was so big that he could get back the spring that used to be his. And looking into Johnny's eyes was like flowers blooming in the snow. Johnny made a small move and Jaehyun found himself leaning closer and closer to him. Jaehyun slowly closed his eyes as Johnny's warm breath tickled his face, then a moment later his lips gently flattened on the younger’s lips. And Jaehyun's heart was covered with flowers at that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> I am terribly sorry for not updating for a while, but well... life happened and I didn't really have time to write.  
> I will try my best to update regularly from now on however I need a certian mindset to be able to write this fic.  
> Anyways I hope you liked this chapter, I am still not sure about how to go on or how to end the whole story but I am working on the detailes :)  
> Thank you for reading :)


	4. Heart of Darkness

In the old days, people only worshiped the Dragon Gods, presented sacrifices to them, and prayed to them. And the Dragon Gods helped, they listened to the people and brought them the harmony they longed for. But the world has changed a lot, as have humans and today they’re no longer thought of presenting sacrifice to long-forgotten gods. These gods only existed in folk tales and were no more than memories of a forgotten age now. Johnny was one such god who had long since been eliminated, in whom people no longer believed enough. But Johnny still continued to work, reassuring dead souls and making sure they got to the afterlife. Just as he made sure that vengeful spirits could not cause trouble in people’s everyday lives.

However, the faith of the people was so faded that the gods were weakened, they no longer counted as immortal. In the modern world, it was no longer the same to be a god as it was a thousand years ago. Johnny loved his current life, he loved his café and wasn’t bothered by the weird guests either. Lucas, Mark, Jeno and Jisung were good grimm reapers who filled the void in his life for a while. But even after all these years, Johnny couldn’t forget his first love. Nothing could make up for Jaehyun’s absence and Johnny still felt the bitterness left by the loss of the Water God a thousand years ago. However, Jaehyun was now alive again, yet Johnny could not get rid of the idea that this too was only a temporary state and perhaps it was only a matter of days before he would lose the Water God again.

"Is everything all right, boss?" Lucas asked as Johnny sat down at the counter in the café.

"How many more times do I have to yell at the coffee bean supplier to him really bring what I asked for?" Johnny asked in a troubled voice and ran his fingers through his hair. "Jaehyun didn't come today either?" he then asked with some hope in his voice.

"No." Lucas shook his head sadly.

Johnny looked out at the door, hoping that Jaehyun might come back anyway. It had been two days since the Water God had been here and Johnny could still feel the touch of Jaehyun's silky lips on his own lips. Jaehyun panicked after the kiss, of course, then actually ran away and hadn't responded to any of Johnny's messages since. The God of the Dead felt it was his mistake, perhaps it was too hasty an idea to kiss Jaehyun. But still, Jaehyun was his first love and the man knew that the Water God could feel the bond between the two of them. The bond that developed a thousand years ago and has not ended since.

"Okay, I'll be in the back." Johnny said, then turned away from the door to retreat to the back of the café. He had no mood at all for the paperwork, but he hoped it would at least distract him from Jaehyun.

*

Jaemin dreamed of snow, in which there was nothing surprising. The God of Winter and Ice saw the cold, the snow, the winter in everything. That made him special, yet he felt awkward far more times than he would have admitted. Jaehyun would not have understood, the abilities of the Water God were the ones that people loved. But who loved winter and the cold? Winter was just devastation and that season promised nothing to people. Jaemin knew people didn't like him, but even so, he was alive, something he didn't always understand. He could no longer tell himself that when the last sacrifice was presented to him, people might have long since forgotten that there was an existing god like him. Yet Jaemin loved it when he was presented with a sacrifice, he was happy for that short time and gave people the most beautiful snowfalls as a gift.

"Do you still feel weak?" Jeno asked softly as he gently stroked the boy's hair.

"I don’t know." Jaemin replied, then slowly opened his eyes. "I haven't moved in two days, I might just be lazy." then the boy added with a smile.

„You almost died.” Jeno replied just as softly.

„But Johnny hyung saved me.” said Jaemin. „Don’t worry about me, it takes more than that to destroy me.”

“The Imugi is dangerous to you too, Jaemin. It may want your brother, but you’re not safe either. ” Jeno replied. „I worry about you.”

„I can protect myself, Jeno.” Jaemin replied to reassure the boy. „Don’t you still have to go back to work?”

„Mark and Lucas can handle it without me, Jisung is definitely starting to get into the grimm reaper thing too.” Jeno replied. „And Johnny hyung hasn’t asked me to go back yet.”

„You can go back to work, I’m better now.” Jaemin said, then sit up on the bed. Jeno followed suit and Jaemin felt the anxious look of the reaper on himself. „Jeno… do you like the cold?”

„What kind of question is that? Of course I like the cold. ” Jeno replied quietly and gently grabbed one of Jaemin’s hands, then clasped their fingers together. Jaemin smiled faintly as Jeno was never shivered when he took his hand.

„It’s okay then.” Jaemin nodded and put his head on the other’s shoulder.

*

Jaehyun didn’t remember everything about his past, but sometimes he saw memories that most of the time just confused him. The Jaehyun who was in those memories seemed happy and in love with Johnny. But Jaehyun was still afraid that he was not the same Jaehyun who was in those memories. Yet Johnny spoke of him as if he had been his first love and Jaehyun could not deny that those words ignited a huge fire in his heart. Jaehyun felt a happiness that was foreign to him and he was afraid he would never be able to handle it. But it was also undeniable to him now that Johnny and he really knew each other in a previous life. The bond that was throbbing between them filled the space that had been empty since a long time ago. Jaehyun felt a warmth in his heart that made him believe that Johnny's love could really be his.

Jaehyun watched as Sicheng put down the tea he had promised before, then the boy took a seat opposite him in one of the empty armchairs.

"Are your memories still confusing?" Sicheng asked with some anxiety in his voice.

"Yes." Jaehyun nodded. "I'm tired, Sicheng, I don't understand why this is happening to me."

"Because you are the Water God." Sicheng replied, then sighed. "I know you still have a hard time believing it, but I was there with you a thousand years ago and I know who you are."

"Apparently everyone knows who I am, but still I don't know who I am after all." Jaehyun replied softly, then grabbed the mug and took a sip of his tea. "Why didn't you tell me earlier that we knew each other?"

"Would you have believed me?" Sicheng asked, then smiled. “I thought it better if you didn’t know about it. Johnny was looking for you, but I couldn’t tell him you were alive, since I knew your tragic stories, too. Not to mention that you had no memories of your past life.”

"I don't really have memories of my past life right now." Jaehyun replied and smiled bitterly. "Do you know about the Imugi too?"

"I know the Imugi has woken up and after a thousand years you are in much greater danger than you have ever been." nodded Sicheng. “At the time, I was the Guardian of the Well. It was my job to protect your world, Jaehyun.”

"So we were friends even then?" Jaehyun asked.

"Well, I was more of your servant, but you could say I was your friend." Sicheng shrugged.

"Then can you help me kill the Imugi?" Jaehyun asked quietly. Sicheng looked at him in surprise, so he continued. “I’m not sure how to do it, just… it’s inevitable, isn’t it? I mean, if all this is really true, I have no choice, am I?”

"I think it's inevitable that you'll meet the Imugi sooner or later." nodded Sicheng.

“It would be nice not to die too early in this life. Jaemin still needs me.” Jaehyun replied in a more determined voice, though he couldn't even believe that he would be able to defeat a monster he had only read about in folk tales before.

"And what about Johnny?" Sicheng asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I don’t know." Jaehyun replied honestly and lowered his eyes as he remembered the many unanswered messages from Johnny. It had been two days since they had kissed each other, but Jaehyun still couldn't get the God of the Dead out of his head. If he only thought for that moment, the well-known warmth permeated his heart again and he longed to see the other's face again. But those feelings were the feelings of the old Jaehyun and the boy didn’t know if they were really real feelings or just memories. Johnny was his first love, but Jaehyun felt blind in the dark.

"In truth, it would be better if you didn't meet, you just bring trouble to each other." Sicheng replied in an honest voice. "But Johnny has always loved you very much, I'm sure he would want to help too if you could tell him what your plans are with the Imugi."

"I don't know if I want to get Johnny involved in this." Jaehyun replied honestly and looked back at his friend. "I have to be strong enough to beat the Imugi, right?"

"He killed you once." Sicheng reminded him.

"This is true." Jaehyun acknowledged and bowed his head. "Still, I have to try to beat it somehow, even if it's all very surreal."

"To be a god in the modern world is not the same as it was a thousand years ago." the other boy shrugged. “But you’re the Water God, people basically love you. But you have to learn to use your skills again.”

"And can you help with that?" Jaehyun asked hopefully.

"Maybe, but I also have to ask my gumiho friend to help." Sicheng replied thoughtfully. “And Johnny… I think you better tell him what you’re up to. You will need all the help if you do not want to suffer the same fate in this life as before.”

Jaehyun nodded, but he wasn't sure he would be able to look Johnny in the near future. He felt as if he had dropped into a folk tale, but in the meantime, real life had continued. After all, his work was still there, as was Jaemin, for whom he was responsible. And his two lives were now starting to blur and Jaehyun feared that whoever the Imugi is it might attack him at any time and therefore he had to be prepared every minute.

*

The world was much more interesting now than it was a thousand years ago - or so the Imugi thought. Walking the streets of Seoul in human form was not particularly challenging, he was able to blend into his surroundings so quietly that literally no one noticed that he was not really born to be a human. The man laughed softly for a moment as he remembered being attacked by one of the gods two days ago.

"These gods are no longer the old ones." he whispered to himself as he stopped in front of one of the flower shop windows and quietly looked at the pre-made bouquets.

Jeong Jaehyun was clearly unaware of who he was born to be. He was one of the most powerful gods a thousand years ago, and now he certainly didn’t even know how to use his abilities. The Imugi felt that this could only be to his advantage because he still needed the same thing he did a thousand years ago: the abilities of the Water God. The man felt it was time for him to really reach his goal now and become a dragon. The Dragon Gods have always been highly valued by humans.

"Can I help you?" asked the flower shop owner in a kind voice as the man entered the store.

"I want a bouquet." he nodded, then smiled. "With blue flowers."

“I’m already making it. Who will have it? ” she asked, smiling as she began to walk around the store to gather as many blue flowers as possible.

"A very special person." the Imugi replied, then turned away from the woman and watched the street until the bouquet was made.

*

Jaehyun felt like he was already coming back to Johnny's café as an acquaintance and maybe it wasn't even the best idea to be here again now. But Sicheng's words went through his mind and he knew his friend was right because he needed all kinds of help. He felt uncomfortable, not wanting to think about the kiss and that if he saw Johnny he might lose his head again and maybe then just want to kiss the God of the Dead again. But now there were more important things than the kisses that Jaehyun longed for.

"You don't want to come in, Jaehyun hyung?" Mark asked from the café door.

“Oh, I…” Jaehyun began and lowered his head in embarrassment. "Is Johnny here?"

"Yeah, he’s in the office." Mark replied with a smile, then opened the café entrance wide and motioned for Jaehyun to enter.

"I do not want to disturb him." Jaehyun replied, but he walked in the door.

"You never bother." the boy reassured him. "Just go in to him, he'll be happy."

Jaehyun nodded in embarrassment, then headed for the back office. He felt uncomfortable because he felt the café’s guests stare and didn’t know what the reason might have been. But what made him even more disturbed was that after two days and countless unanswered messages, he was now get here without notice. He would have fully understood if Johnny hadn't even wanted to see him. However, he knocked softly, then opened into the office and when Johnny's familiar eyes looked at him at that moment, the familiar warmth filled his heart again.

"Jaehyun!" Johnny stood up from behind his desk so suddenly that his chair almost overturned.

"Do I disturb you?" Jaehyun asked as he took a relentless step inside to close the office door behind him.

"No, you never bother!" Johnny said quickly. "I sent you messages…"

"I know, I’m sorry, I should have answered." Jaehyun lowered his eyes. "I was with Sicheng."

"I understand." Johnny nodded. "But you're okay, aren't you?"

"I'm still a little confused." Jaehyun admitted. "But we should talk about the Imugi."

"Yes." Johnny nodded, then walked closer to the boy. Jaehyun involuntarily took a step back, and Johnny stopped and cleared his throat. "What do you want to know about the Imugi?"

"That how I can kill it." Jaehyun replied in an honest voice.

"Well, he killed you once." Johnny spoke softly and now he was lowering his eyes. “The Imugi needs your abilities more than anyone else, that’s all he can do to become a dragon. And a thousand years ago, people only revered Dragon gods.”

"I understand." Jaehyun nodded. "I do not want to die."

"If it's up to me, it won't happen, Jaehyun."

"That story about us - do you think we can change it?" Jaehyun asked hopefully.

"We need to be able to change it somehow." Johnny nodded firmly. “I don’t want you to die either, but the Imugi is in the lead. We don’t know who he is, but he knows who you are.”

“Jaemin has met him and he’s better now. Let’s talk to him, maybe he can tell us what he looked like.” Jaehyun replied. "Or doesn't it help?"

“It can help. Sicheng works with you at the school, right? ” Johnny asked.

"Yes."

"Since he was the Guardian of the Well a thousand years ago, he needs to feel when danger threatens you." said Johnny. “My feeling is that he will be the first to sense if the Imugi is near you. Of course, the world has changed a lot and the Imugi is now hiding in a human form, so maybe it will be harder for him to recognize it. But the most important thing now, Jaehyun, is for you to not be alone if possible.”

"Sicheng says I need to learn to use my skills again."

"He’s right, that wouldn't be a disadvantage." Johnny nodded. "But if that's too much for you now…"

"Jaemin is almost died." Jaehyun reminded the other. “For me, he’s my only family, Johnny, and I have a feeling that this Imugi thing won’t just go away either. I have to do something and you have to help me.”

Johnny didn't answer, watching Jaehyun in silence for a moment and at that moment he really saw the Water God in front of him. The boy he had fallen in love with a thousand years ago and whom he could not and did not want to forget ever since. Johnny forgot to think for a moment and suddenly stepped even closer to Jaehyun, then with a determined gesture grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to kiss him. Jaehyun's silky lips were familiar as Johnny put his arm around his waist and pulled him even closer. The God of the Dead feared for a moment that Jaehyun would push him away, but the Water God soon hugged his shoulders and kissed him back. Johnny held his first love in his arms at that moment and knew he would never let him go, no matter what happened. He felt as if his skin was stroking water and Jaehyun's lips felt like the taste of the sea. Everything was exactly the same as it was a thousand years ago, as if time had stopped at that moment and never really went on.

“Hyung…” as Mark suddenly opened the office’s door, Jaehyun pulled away from Johnny at that moment and turned his back on both of them.

"What's up, Mark?" Johnny asked nervously and looked at the young grimm reaper.

"There's a little problem." Mark replied quite softly and felt noticeably uncomfortable for looking at the two gods.

"What's the matter?" Johnny asked irritably.

"It's snowing." Mark said with great difficulty.

"What?" Jaehyun asked in shock and turned to the boy. Mark stepped aside from the door so the two men could go back to the foyer where they could face the fact that the snow was actually falling outside.

Johnny saw fear in Jaehyun's eyes as they looked at each other.

"Where's Jaemin?" the God of the Dead asked.

"At home." Jaehyun replied. “Jeno was with him today. Johnny, what's going on? ” the boy asked in a worried voice.

"I'm not sure yet." Johnny replied. "Mark, find Taeyong, you have to move dead souls to the afterlife today without me."

"But hyung, none of us did it yet…"

"Taeyong will help!" Johnny said, then grabbed Jaehyun's arm and pulled him toward the exit. "Where do you live?" the God of the Dead asked as he took the car key from his pocket.

*

The man carefully placed the bouquet of blue flowers on the altar. Perhaps people no longer even remembered that every god had altars throughout the city. But perhaps they would not have presented a sacrifice to the god of Winter and Ice even if they knew of the existence of the altar. It was mid-summer, no one thought of praying for winter to return. But the Imugi also wanted to confuse the people and gods who walked the streets of Seoul. The God of Winter and Ice was young and confused, and the Imugi was sure he would not be able to control his abilities.

"When was the last time a sacrifice was presented to you?" the man asked softly as he knelt in front of the altar and lowered his head. “Bring the winter that doesn’t promise people anything. Bring the cold, which kills quieter than any killer. Wake up, Prince of Winter, and kill! ”

*

Jaemin began to squirm and pulled his blanket. On the other side of the bed, Jeno still read the same book he had started hours earlier. Jaemin smiled as he sat up, then breathed a soft kiss on the grimm reaper's face.

"Do you never sleep?" Jaemin asked wearily as he snuggled up next to the boy.

"I am not sleepy yet." Jeno replied. “Anyway, your brother hasn’t gotten home yet. How normal is that? ”

"He's at Sicheng’s, they definitely have a lot to discuss." Jaemin replied. “You know you don’t have to be vigilant every minute, do you? We could cuddle and it would be more exciting than your book.”

"How do you know? This is a very good book.” Jeno replied, but closed the book. "You're back and forth between awake and sleeping, you haven't even eaten today."

"Not all my energy is back yet." Jaemin shrugged, then looked at the boy. "I don't even want to get out of this bed."

“Jaemin…” Jeno’s gaze was worried again and Jaemin hated it when the boy looked at him like that.

"What?" Jaemin asked in confusion. He didn't think his bad sleeping and eating habits could startle Jeno so much.

"Your eyes…"

"What about my eyes?" Jaemin asked incomprehensibly.

"It turned blue." Jeno replied as he leaned a little closer to the boy to look into his eyes. Jaemin smiled and pushed the boy away from him, then got up from the bed to step to the mirror that was on his desk.

"It can't be blue until someone…" Jaemin began, but when he saw himself in the mirror he fell silent. Jeno was right, his eyes really weren't the usual shade of brown, but blue - a color the boy hadn't seen in his own eyes for a very long time.

"Jaemin, when will your eyes turn blue?" Jeno asked after putting his book aside on the nightstand and getting up to step next to his boyfriend.

"If a sacrifice is presented to me." Jaemin replied quite softly. “It can’t be…” Jaemin walked around Jeno and went to the window.

"Did someone presented a sacrifice for you?" Jeno asked in shock and followed the boy to the window. “But why? It's summer and… ”

"Jeno, it’s snowing." Jaemin uttered the words so softly that Jeno wasn't even sure he really heard what the god was saying. However, the snow fell in huge flakes outside and slowly covered everything. Winter arrived too early that year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> I am extremly sorry for this late update, life is still happening and I am a mess :)  
> Thank you for reading this chapter, feel free to comment your thoughts about the storyline :)  
> And thank you for your support of course as usual :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> So I guess we could say that fantasy is my safe space :)  
> This story is entierly fiction, however I searched up about korean folklore and try to use some things from there. But most of it is just made up by me.  
> I will try to update as soon as possible and I hope you'll like this story from me as well :)  
> Hopefully my english is not that bad in this one, I'll still try to improve myself :)


End file.
